Ukraine’s Transgender Spokesperson Suspended by Military after Threatening to Hunt Down ‘Propagandists’
The Ukrainian military has suspended its transgender-identifying spokesperson by the name of Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, an American citizen who moved to Ukraine to join the country’s war efforts after he reportedly made unapproved statements online.
Ashton-Cirillo posted a video on social media threatening violence against “war criminal propagandists,” who criticize the Ukraine or the nation’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
“Next week, the teeth of the Russian devils will gnash even harder, and their rabid mouths will foam in uncontrollable frenzy as the world will see a favorite Kremlin propagandist pay for their crimes,” Ashton-Cirillo said. “This puppet of Putin is only the first. Russia’s war criminal propagandists will all be hunted down and justice will be served.”
The video prompted U.S. Senator J.D. Vance to write a letter to the U.S. Secretaries of State and Defense, as well as the Director of National Intelligence, expressing his domestic security concerns.
“A number of reports purport to offer additional information, much of it unconfirmed, regarding Ashton-Cirillo,” Senator Vance wrote. “I’ve seen claims this individual is an American, a former intelligence operative in the United States, and an employee of the Ukrainian government. Others have argued [that] Ashton-Cirillo is pulling an elaborate prank. If so, kudos for the delivery of high quality humor.”
The Ohio Senator specificially asked the Secretaries if Ashton-Cirillo was “compensated using American resources” or if he “ever serve[d], in any capacity, American intelligence services” and he noted, “I worry American resources could be supporting violence or the threat of violence against people for speaking their mind.”
Ashton-Cirillo released a video responding to Senator Vance, answering his questions in some capacity, stating, “Simply put, I’m an American serving as a Ukrainian infantry soldier and combat medic, who was brought from the zero line and assigned to the TDF’s media team in the dual role as spokesperson and Russian disinformation analyst.”
“The Russian propogandists and war criminals who are spreading lies and pushing alse narratives are not journalists, they are information agents,” Ashton-Cirillo added.
Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) released a statement condemning Ashton-Cirillo’s recent comments, but did not specifically cite what he was suspended for. “The statements of JSgt Ashton-Cirillo in recent days were not approved by the command of the TDF or the command of the AFU,” the TDF posted on X. “When conducting military operations against the aggressor, the defense forces of Ukraine strictly observe the norms of international humanitarian law.”
Turning Point USA CEO, Charlie Kirk, responded to the news, writing, “[Ukrainian President] Zelensky is coming to DC next week to bully the American public into writing another $24 billion check to a quagmire. He’s coming here to beg just days after his transgender English spokesperson threatened to hunt down and kill anti-Ukraine critics and ‘propogandists.'”
“The American people must stop being extorted by a foreign gangster. Not one more dime.” Kirk added.
